


The Silver Dragon

by pravenclaw



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Shipmas 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21658468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pravenclaw/pseuds/pravenclaw
Summary: It's Christmas Day, 2010, and Astoria Malfoy is spending it in St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. But it doesn't have to be all bad...
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	The Silver Dragon

_Christmas Day, 2010_

The Healer’s eyes slowly scanned the page, occasionally looking up at Astoria and making yet more notes with her bright-purple quill. It scratched and squeaked as her hand ran across the page, urgent yet diligent. She sighed as her eyes swept down the page a final time. She stuck the quill behind her ear, taking care not to knock the garland of tinsel from the top of her head.

‘All done,’ said the Healer, gently placing Astoria’s file back in the rack at the foot of her bed. ‘I’ll be getting off soon,’ she said, ‘but I’ll be back in tomorrow morning. Hopefully you’ll be feeling better then.’

Draco got to his feet immediately, extending his hand out over the bed.

‘Thank you,’ he said quietly, his face stern and uninviting. ‘For everything you’ve done.’

The Healer froze, blushing, before taking Draco’s hand into her own.

‘Merry Christmas!’ called Astoria from the bed. Scorpius, sitting in the large armchair at the other side of her bed, beamed and mimicked his mother, in his soft, high-pitched little voice.

Astoria giggled as the Healer cautiously backed out of the room.

‘You startled her,’ said Astoria. ‘You could’ve at least smiled at her. It’s Christmas, Draco.’

‘It’s Christmas, and my wife is in hospital, _Astoria_ ,’ said Draco, his tone matching hers completely. ‘What’s to smile about?’

‘Look, Scorpius doesn’t mind,’ said Astoria. ‘I think he sees it as one big adventure.’ He was playing quietly with a silver dragon toy they had given him for his last birthday.

At hearing his name, Scorpius looked up at his mum and smiled back. The silver dragon blew out a stream of smoke and Scorpius burst into a fit of hearty laughter, almost falling from his chair. Astoria loved to hear him laugh. She could always count on it to pick up her spirits even on the darkest of days.

The dragon looped around the room a few times before flying down to perch on Scorpius’s shoulder. It nuzzled his neck gently before settling.

The Healer re-entered with a large grin on her face, though she still appeared red and flustered.

‘Scorpius,’ she called sweetly. ‘There’s someone here who wants to see you.’

Scorpius jumped up at once, the silver dragon on his shoulder took off. Scorpius drew a large audible breath as a portly wizard entered wearing flowing crimson robes. He had a large white beard and was carrying a bulging brown sack. Scorpius ran over to him, his arms splayed out wide, and embraced the wizard at his knees.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Draco said through gritted teeth. ‘He looks nothing like Father Christmas.’

‘Because you’ve actually seen him, have you?’ simpered Astoria.

They watched as Scorpius helped the wizard decorate the hospital room. Scorpius looked on in amazement as the wizard reached into his sack and pulled out an enormous, fully decorated Christmas tree, complete with actual fairies. Scorpius’s toy dragon flew to the top and nested somewhere in its topmost branches, the only sign of its whereabouts being the intermittent plumes of smoke it blew from its nose, which made the tiny fairies cough and splutter.

‘Christmas in St Mungo’s doesn’t have to be all bad. At least not for Scorpius,’ said Astoria through a smile. She gripped weakly onto Draco’s wrist with her long, slender fingers. Their eyes met, and Draco found himself smiling too.

‘I know you didn’t want to bring him here, and I understand. But I wanted to see him, Draco. I _needed_ to see him. Look at him. He’s too young to understand.’

Draco looked deeply into the pale, gaunt face of his wife, who, despite the pain he knew she was in, hadn’t stopped smiling all day. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently.

‘Happy Christmas, Astoria.’

‘Happy Christmas, Draco.’

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Shipmas! Set myself the extra challenge of writing under 1000 words, because I liked the idea of seeing a brief snapshot in the life of these characters. Hope you enjoy!


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